[CentOS] Moving files to new server

[Benjamin Smith]

I keep a file called "Migration Script" for each server. It's a list of 
everything I had to install to operate everything on the server. Any time I 
have to install or change the config on the server, I update this file as 
well. Every 2 years or so, when I'm getting ready to set up a new server, I 
review this file as I build a new system. 

After everything has been installed, I prepare a final "switchover plan" that 
contains detailed (line by line, file by file) instructions in review for 
switching over things like /etc/passwd & /etc/shadow, ntp.conf, 
sshd_conf, /etc/sysctl.conf, and so on. 

This keeps downtime in switchover minimal, even when I'm doing a "worst case" 
emergency switchover. (EG: hosting provider goes belly-up without any warning 
at all, which happened once) 

One of the steps in this whole process is that I carefully keep a list of all 
client data in var by directory (eg: /var/spool/mail, /var/spool/cron) and 
otherwise keep all other client data in /home, so that I know exactly what 
files to keep from OS to OS. (For example, copying over /var/lib/rpm could 
seriously bork things, while keeping /var/www can be crucial) 

I use rsync to copy over this data, either from the server-to-be-replaced or 
from backups as appropriate to the new server. 

-Ben 

On Sunday 05 March 2006 06:34, Thomas E Dukes wrote:
> I am getting a new computer and am going to need to move the files from the
> old to the new.  What is the best way to do this?
> 
> Should I install CentOS from scratch on the new computer then move the
> directories I need?  How do I maintain permissions if this is the best way?

-- 
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
- XEROX PARC slogan, circa 1978

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